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The Official Reason Why Every Mom Needs Self Care

I am an extremely passionate individual. I care deeply about having a clean house, clothes that I can find when I need them, and a child that doesn’t always have leftovers smeared across her forehead.

Many nights I spend cleaning up the kitchen. Sorting and folding loads of laundry. Wiping down the counters and cleaning toilets while Zoey takes a bath. But even after I put her to bed and sit down on the couch with my tall glass of wine, I feel incomplete.

My “perfect” reality is not always realistic. I put so much time and effort into our home. But I have less and less time with the people that I’m supposed to enjoy it with. I mean, what’s a clean house good for if there’s no one there to enjoy it with, anyway?

You Need To Give Yourself A Break Before You Go Crazy

Today I’m posting a snippet from a collaboration that I worked on back in May. Tanya, from Motherly Adventures, e-mailed me asking if I would answer some questions. She wanted to write an article about what it’s like to find yourself after months of neglecting your needs. (You can check Tanya and Nara’s blog out here.) I’m touched that she asked me to answer such powerful questions. And of course I’m honored to share my own story about the importance of self care.

Again, the article was originally published back in May on Motherly Adventures (full article here). However, I lost 2 months of blog content when I switched my domain name. (It was a bad case of speedy finger clicking. And a naive approach to backing up data. A rookie mistake.)

So, the original snippet of this article is gone. But I think now is a good time to revive (and revamp!) it. December is such a stressful month. It makes sense totting to look at how stress and self care affect our attitudes. But also–and maybe more importantly–our relationships as well.

This Is What Happened When I Stopped Caring For Myself

“Having a child transformed me into this product of a person that I never dreamed I would become. When I first found out I was pregnant I immediately started perusing articles on cloth diapering versus disposables, breastfeeding versus bottle fed, and I made a Pinterest board full of nursery room ideas and inspiration. Before I had my child I told myself I was going to do everything right, and I was bound and determined to prove it. My type A personality kicked into overdrive. Then the nesting phase set in. Before I knew it I had crafted a picture-perfect vision of what our life would be like when the baby arrived.

Like many people we struggled that first year. In the background I was struggling with so much more than finances and a lack of sleep. I missed talking to people. Don’t get me wrong, it was great being able to stay home with my newborn. But I craved social interaction with adults. Sure, my Fiancé and I talked. But the extent of our conversations routinely revolved around how much the baby ate (what she ate), when she was changed, how she slept (if at all), and the works. Our lives turned into a monotonous cycle, and I had forgotten what it was like to engage in meaningful conversation…”

A New Way To Think About “Me” Time…

Click here to read the rest of the original article on Motherly Adventures.

It’s time to look at self care with a fresh perspective. NEWSFLASH, Moms. We can’t do it all. Say it with me. I can’t do it all. It took me a very long time to accept this. But once I did, the results were life changing.

Self Care Is Necessary

Life is stressful. Work is overwhelming. Kids are demanding. In my house, I’m usually one glass of wine away from a meltdown. (And by that I mean I need my glass of wine or else I’m going to have a meltdown.)

Meltdowns aren’t pretty. Just saying from experience. And honestly, doesn’t an hour or two to yourself every week sound heavenly? And it’s a much healthier way to de-stress. Self care isn’t just important. It’s fundamentally NECESSARY, and us Moms need to start taking more time for ourselves. It’s not just about rest & relaxation, but really about taking the time to make sure you do things that make yourself feel good.

Exercise- Even if it’s just a brisk walk. As Elle Woods said in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” While I can’t guarantee that exercising will make you not want to shoot your husband (I mean, haven’t we all felt like that at least once?), it’s still a great way to get your heart pumping and the blood flowing.

Music- If nothing else plug some headphones in and tune yourself out for a bit. My favorite quote ever: “Some days I need the music, and some days I need the lyrics.”

Schedule Time For Self Care

The easiest way to make sure you are taking time to care for yourself is to regularly schedule it into your daily and/or weekly routine. Try taking 15 to 20 minutes to yourself each day, or take a longer chunk of time once a week. Explain to your family that in order for you to be the best Mom that you can be, you need feel happy and healthy with yourself as an . You need it and you deserve it, Supermom.

Until next time,

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What will you do to make sure you carve out special time to yourself? Let’s chat in that comment section below! 👇🏼